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Comedic Hasselhoff car ad leads to a dream job in Sweden

Last month a guy in Florida posted a homemade ad for his 1996 Nissan Maxima online and Nissan bought it from him. This month a guy in Sweden posted a homemade ad for his 1985 Subaru Justy J10 Trendy online and got a job with Swedish car magazine Auto Motor und Sport. When Nils Jangan relocated to a new city and couldn't get a job, the financial drain eventually demanded he get rid of his car. Looking for a way to convince anyone to purchase a 29-year-old hatchback, he enlisted the help of Mordor, Saruman and, naturally, David Hasselhoff giving the thumbs up.
The picture was accompanied by text describing the "Japanese mountain goat" that was "hand-forged" by "the Saruman of carmakers," and its "54 frighteningly well-hung horses." One of its other advertised features was "I.D.N.R.I.S" seat belts, the "Instant Death No Retardation Impact System" meaning the occupants would never have to worry about long-term care if they were "in any collision at speeds higher than 12 km/hour." He asked 10,000 kroner (about $1,500 US) for the beauty, but he was also willing to trade for a job.
After posting the ad on Blocket, a Swedish craigslist, and having it shared throughout the community, Jangan got a ton of interest in the car and a job offer from Auto Motor und Sport, which he accepted. As for the Subie, it ended up going to a local repair shop for just a few hundred kroner, but we imagine Jangan's gets a decent work-related loaner or two to make up for it.

Subaru bringing new XV concept to Geneva

The high-riding, Impreza-based Subaru Crosstrek is due for an update. So to whet our appetites, Subaru's showing a concept that previews the new XV. The concept will debut in Geneva, and it's being teased today in the image above. The Japanese automaker isn't saying much about what will go into the new XV Concept, and the teaser doesn't give us much to go on aside from an impression of body-cladded ruggedness. But it isn't hard to see what direction Subaru is going in here. It already revealed the Impreza 5-Door Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show last year, and the Impreza Sedan Concept in LA shortly thereafter, each previewing different bodystyles for Fuji Heavy's compact model. Like the Outback Sport before it, the Crosstrek is essentially a beefed-up version of the current Impreza. So we'd expect the new XV concept to follow a similar path, building upon the show cars we saw recently in Japan and California and taking them down a more rugged path for the European show. We'll look forward to seeing how it shapes up, but more than that, to seeing how Subaru implements the designs for production. Related Video: Subaru to Debut "Subaru XV Concept" at 2016 Geneva International Motor Show Tokyo, February 9, 2016 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the "Subaru XV Concept" will make its world debut at the 86th Geneva International Motor Show to be held in Switzerland (Press day: March 1 – 2 / Open to the public: March 3 – 13, 2016). The Subaru XV Concept will be unveiled at the press briefing scheduled for 11:15 AM (Central European Time) on March 1 at Subaru booth. The special site will opens today on the Subaru Global Site. http://www.subaru-global.com/2016geneva.html The site will feature information updates relating to the Geneva International Motor Show including Subaru's press conference.

The 2022 Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86 aftermarket upgrader's guide

When you own an enthusiast car, there are few events more nerve-wracking than the introduction of its successor. Should you upgrade? Is it worthwhile? What will it cost you to part out your mods and trade up? Well, there's good news for owners of the outgoing Scion FR-S, Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ who are considering an upgrade: You might not have to start with a clean slate.  If you’re an owner (or even a casual fan) of the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 family of sports coupes, youÂ’re probably already aware that the 2022 models are more like aggressive overhauls than true, ground-up redesigns. Neither company really wants to put a spotlight on the fact that their coupes are a little less "all-new" and a little more "back and better than ever," but in our opinion, this is something Subaru and Toyota should embrace.  Why? In a word: continuity. Look no further than the NA (1989-1997) and NB (1999-2005) Mazda Miata. While they are regarded as distinct generations (the NA defined by its pop-up headlights and simpler lines; the NB by its fixed lamps and swoopier styling) and were offered with different equipment packages, the fundamental underlying chassis remained relatively unchanged. This meant that, in many cases at least, buyers could trade up to a new model but bring along some of their factory and aftermarket accessories because theyÂ’d still fit. The BRZ and GR 86 are meant to be fairly bare-bones vehicles, the idea being that they appeal to those who want limited frills at a low cost and those who prefer to view cars as canvases rather than finished masterpieces. A long-running platform makes an excellent candidate for the latter type of car buyer. So, what does that mean for the 2022 BRZ and GR 86? Well, let's break it down by whatÂ’s truly new, whatÂ’s kind-of-new, and whatÂ’s essentially carry-over, with some guidance from Subaru and Toyota engineers.  2022 Subaru BRZ blue action profile View 22 Photos Spankin' new LetÂ’s start with the obvious: the styling. Even if you can find older aftermarket appearance kits that will fit the new BRZ and GR 86 on paper, they probably wonÂ’t bolt up nicely to the new cars due to their sleek new exterior designs. Wings and spoilers might still bolt up, but donÂ’t count on it, and theyÂ’ll probably look disjointed at best anyway.